Self-cleaning fluid filters



Sept. 4, 1956 c. M. TURSKY 2,761,566

SELF-CLEANING FLUID FILTERS Original Filed Sept. 7, 1950 INVENTQR CHAR; E5 M 75/?5/0 ATTORNEY United States Patent SELF-CLEANING FLUID FILTERS Charles M. Tursliy, Plainfield, N. J.

Original application September 7, 1950, Serial No. 183,553, now Patent No. 2,667,272, dated January 26, 1954. Divided and this application December 24, 1953, Serial No. 400,165

2 Claims. (Cl. 210169) This invention relates to filters for use in filtering fluids of various types and kinds. More particularly, the invention deals with a device of this kind adapted for use in filtering fuel and lubricants as applied to various types and kinds of apparatus. Still more particularly, the invention deals with a filter device having means for intermittently moving filter cylinders into cleaning position for removing sediment and foreign matter collected thereon and to restore such cleaning filters for further filtering use by movement into filtering position in the device.

This application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial Number 183,553, now Patent No. 2,667,272, filed September 7, 1950.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate'parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through one pair of filter cylinders of a filter device made according to my invention, showing the same in filtering position and diagrammatically illustrating parts of the construction and with parts removed.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, taken at right angles to Fig. 1, and showing only part'of the construction and indicating the cylinders in self-cleaning position.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the device, as seen in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through one of the filter elements which I employ; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged diagrammatic view of a part of the face of a filter element illustrating the structure thereof.

In Fig. l of the drawing, I have shown at the casing of the filter and at 11 and 12 the end plates of the casing. Centrally of the casing 10 is a cylindrical bore 13 and, around this bore, the casing 10 has two pairs of cylinders 14, 14', note Fig. 1, 15, 15', note Fig. 2, the cylinders 15 and 15' being disposed at right angles to the cylinders 14, 14.

The cap 12 has an admission port 16 communicating with the bore 13 for introduction of fluid to be filtered. This cap also has exhaust ports 17, 17' communicating with an annular passage 18 which is in communication with all of the cylinders 14, 14'; 15, 15'. The other end of the cylinders 14, 14 have ports 19, 19' and the cylinders 15, 15' have corresponding ports 20, 20 and these ports are adapted to register either with one by-pass passage 21 in a rotating valve 22, or with two discharge passages 23, 23' in the valve 22, the passages 23, 23 having hollow discharges, as at 24, 24' into an annular discharge chamber 25 in the cap 12, the annular discharge chamber 25 having an outlet 26, as noted in Fig. 1. At 27 I have diagrammatically shown an exhaust pipe with a pressure regulating valve 28 therein, controlling the discharge from the chamber 25.

The valve 22 has a stem 29 rotatable in the cap 12 or in a packing gland 30 in said cap. Fixed to the outer end of the stem 29 is an operating lever 31 which may be 'ice manually or otherwise operated for movement of the valve into different positions.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, the valve 22 is shown with the by-passage 21 registering with the apertures 19, 19'. In this position of the valve, the ports 23, 23' will register with the apertures 20, 20', as will appear from a consideration of Fig. 2. However, by rotating the valve 22 the passage 21 can be brought into registering position with the apertures 20, 20', thus bringing the apertures 23, 23' in registering position with the apertures 19, 19'. In this last position, the cylinders 14, 14' will be in a cleaning position, rather than in the filtering position, as seen in Fig. 1.

The cylinders 14, 14; 15, 15 have, at their ends adjacent the cap 11, enlarged seats as, for example, at 32 in Fig. 1 for reception of filter elements, generally identified by the reference character 33.

As all of these elements are of the same construction, the brief description of one will apply to all and distinction of the elements will be characterized by the different cylinders which have been identified.

In Fig. l of the drawing, the element 33 in the cylinder 14 is shown in section and, from this showing, it will 'appear that the element comprises an elongated, substantially thirnble-shaped casing 34, having an enlarged flange end 35 fitting snugly in the seat 32, the enlargement 35 having an annular groove 36 forming a seat for one end :of a tubular filter 37, a packing being preferably employed at the bottom of the groove 36, as indicated at 38. The other closed end 39 of the filter casing 34 has a bore 40 for the reception of a screw or nut 41 employed to retain a flanged disc 42 on the end of the casing 34. Between the casing and the disc 42 is a packing 43 and this disc 42 forms another groove seat 44 for the other end of the filter 37. The walls of the filter casing 34 have longitudinally and circumferentially spaced elongated openings 45 sub-divided by fine ribs 46, thus exposing the major portion of the filter casing for circulation of fluid therethrough and through the filter 37. It will appear that the disc 42 terminates short of the end of the cylinders 14, 14'; 15, 15 adjacent the apertures 19, 19; 20, 20', thus providing free circulation of fluid therearound,

the disc being bevelled, as seen at 47, to facilitate this.

circulation.

The filter 37 which may be termed the filter element proper is formed from a coil spring, wherein each coil has a series of circumferential-11y spaced flats, as indicated clearly at 48 in Fig. 4 of the drawing, these flats being formed by shaping the coil over a mandrel and, where the bends 49 are located between each fiat, these bends produce lateral opposed raised portions or enlargements, as indicated at 50 in Fig. l of the drawing. The raised portions 50 are rounded and flare into the coil in what might be termed bevelled portions, as clearly seen in Fig. 5 of the drawing. Normally, these enlargements of adjacent windings of the coil spring are substantially in the position diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawing, thus producing on the spring a spiral arrangement of the enlargements 50.

In Fig. 5 of the drawing, the windings are shown in what may be termed a normal relationship, that is to say, when the flats 48 are in closest proximity to each other on adjacent windings of the coil. However, the filter element 37 can be so made as to lengthen in its fit between the recesses 36 and 44 so as to require slight rotation of the spring, causing the projections 50 to ride one upon the other over the bevelled portions, thus increasing clearance at 51 in the depressed portions between the fiats 48 to adapt a single filter to varied uses, insofar as degree of filterization is concerned. This control can also be provided by varying the number of flats .in each winding of the element 37 and by the size and cross-sectional-contour of the wire. Generally speaking, round-wire is preferred as a substantially line contact or control is thus provided between the adjacent windings which facilitates passage of the fluid through the. coil in the filtering-position, as Well as the self-cleaning position. In the use of the device, fluid is circulated through therdevice byadrnission into the cylinders 14, 14 from the bore. '13, passage 21 and ports 19, 19. The fluid thenpasses through the filter 37 in the cylinders 14, 14, theniinto the annular passage or chamber. 18 and out through the exhaust 17; 17. for supply to the apparatus. In .the early stages, the fluid entering the passage 18 will also pass into the cylinders, 15, 15' but will not be discharged therefrom. due to, suitable. control governed by the pressure regulatingvalve23. As and when the. filter elements 37 or the cylinders 14, 14' become congested, and. thismay beregulated by. predetermined timing, the valve 22 is rotated to bring the passage Zllinto registering position with .the cylinders 15, 15 which automatically brings the passages 23, 23' in registering position With/the ports 19, 19'. In this position, filtering will take place by passage of the fluid through the elements 33 in'the cylinders:15, 15' and the fiuid will be circulated through the elements 33in the cylinders 14, 14' in the reversedirection, thus cleaning the filter 37 and exhausting the filtered'fiuid outthrough pipe 27 and valve 28.

. In due time, the above operation will be repeated and filtering will again take place in the cylinders 14, 14 by again shiftingthe valve.22 back to the position shown, in Fig. l. It-will be apparentth-at the showing in Fig. ofv the. drawing is. exaggerated for sake of clarity, particularly inillustratingaslight clearance, as at 51. In actual practiceand with certain types of filters, the clearance, asat 51, would hardly be noticeable to the eye.

For. purposes .of" description, the circumferencially spaced: fiats' mayrbe said to comprise angularly arranged straight sections. In* other Words, one flat section extends angularly with: respect to the adjacent flat sections, as clearly seen in Fig. 4 of the drawing.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim'as' new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

' 1. In fluid filters of the character described, a filter 4 element comprising an elongated thirnble-shaped casing,

having a closed end and a flanged openend, a coil filter arranged on said casing between the flanged and closed ends thereof, means detachable with the closed end of the casing for retaining the filter on said casing, each winding of the filter coil comprising a plurality of circumferentially arranged flats, said flats being joined by laterally extending opposed raised beveled portions forming, on said flats, depressed portions, said raised bevelled portions extending the full width of the coil winding, and said raised bevelled portions being spirally arranged on the windings of the resulting coil.

2. Afilter for filter devices of the character described, said filter comprising an elongated wire coil, each winding of the coil having a plurality of circumferentially arranged flats, said flats being joined by laterally extending opposed raised portions, said opposed raised portions extending the full widthof the winding, said raised portions being on adjacentcoils, said raised portions being in close proximity to each other on adjacent windings forming a spiral.- arrangement on the resulting coil whereby said portions of one winding engage adjacent windings of said coil, and positioning of the raised portions one with respect to the other on adjacent windings of said coil controlling filter spacing between the flat portions of adjacent windings: of the coil intermediate said raised portions.

ReferencesCitedin the file of thispatent 

